Phoenix WebSite X5 Evolution review

Any web-design software aimed at novices has to strike a balance between its design capabilities and ease of use.

Phoenix's WebSite X5 Evolution couldn't be easier to use. Each time you open it, it runs you through five simple steps. In the first, General Settings, you choose a predefined theme for your site and customise it, choosing your own colour scheme and other aspects. Next you create a site map, then the individual pages.

All five steps are listed down the left-hand side of the program's main screen. You don't have to run through them sequentially, but the first time you create a site it's best to do the steps in order. The next time you open the project, you can skip to the step that contains the settings you want to modify.

Page layouts are simple. A page consists of a grid of squares. Specify what should appear in each square (a picture, a Flash animation, text and so on). Each element you import will then sit in the space you have defined for it. You can either create one page after another, or use your site map to jump to the specific page. In the Advanced Settings tab, you can customise certain page elements (page menu or pop-up menu attributes, for instance) and add some advanced features, including RSS feeds and an e-shop.

WebSite Evolution is better than some packages we've seen. Even a novice will quickly be able to create a basic website. Basic, however, is the operative word. For simplicity, Phoenix has placed some tight restrictions on the design, including the grid layout of the pages, the limited extent to which you can customise page layouts, the small selection of advanced features you can add to your site and the inaccessibility of the HTML code itself. For just £20 more you can buy Namo's WebEditor, which is easy to use, precise and highly versatile.

Author: Karl Wright